MWC preview: The internet of things

The internet of things is going to be big news at this year’s MWC (Mobile World Congress), so what exactly can we expect?

Well, we’re hoping to see the internet of things grow up and get serious. We’re hoping to see less of these quirky smart gadgets, and to get a realistic glimpse into a future where we’re truly connected.

We expect to be hearing a lot about M2M (Machine to Machine) technology. So rather than having Wi-Fi enabled products simply giving us information, they’re going to speak to each other and make decisions for us. This could mean a security camera that recognises your face and unlocks your front door as you approach it. Or a sleep monitor that tells the rest of the home when you’re about to wake up, allowing you to rise and shine every day to a warm house and the smell of freshly made coffee.

At MWC, we want to be shown a world where everything is connected, and to be taken on a journey out of our smart homes, into our connected cars, and on a trip through the connected city…

SMART HOMES

From light bulbs to coffee machines, most of the connected devices we see at MWC will be focused on the smart home.

This year, we expect to see a lot of Wi-Fi enabled home security products with facial recognition – this is one product area that’s likely to be a big hit with the public.

We also expect to see useful smart devices that can detect danger in the home, such as carbon monoxide detectors, smoke alarms or devices that can help keep an eye on elderly relatives.

CONNECTED CARS

We’re going to see a lot of major car manufacturers showing off their latest connected car technology at MWC 2015.

Connected car products like Android in the Car are great, but we expect even more exciting auto technology to be on display.

Self-driving cars are going to be the main attraction, and we’re hopefully going to see a few examples of vehicles that can communicate with each other and their city surroundings to find a smart way around traffic jams and accidents.

CONNECTED CITIES

This year at MWC, we’ll learn how the internet of things can transform not just our homes and our cars, but the cities we live in. We’re going to be shown what it’s like to be a connected citizen.

GSMA’s Innovation City is going to be a major attraction. Its aim is to demonstrate how connected products will transform our entire lives, so we’ll see cutting-edge technology demonstrations across a range of sectors including health, transport, sports and entertainment.

This is going to be the place to discover the very latest technological advancements. We’re especially interested in hearing how smart health products can make lives better for us all – including people in developing countries.

Over to you. What type of connected products are you hoping to hear about at MWC? Are you excited about M2M technology, or are you worried that one day your home security will display HAL-like tendencies and refuse to let you in? Share your thoughts below.